SDC Representative Bassam Ishak welcomes shift in Syrian government rhetoric, urges dialogue over domination

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Bassam Ishak, a senior member of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) based in Washington, D.C., said President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s recent address on the violence in Suwayda reflects a notable shift in the Syrian government’s tone — an implicit acknowledgment that lasting stability must be built through consensus rather than coercion.

In a statement posted to social media, Ishak welcomed al-Sharaa’s emphasis on dialogue, quoting the president’s words: “We chose understanding in order to preserve the unity of the country.” Ishak called this a “political turning point,” asserting, “It is an admission that stability comes through consensus, not through arm-twisting. Every time the former regime resorted to force and obstinacy, it lost the people — and it lost the country.”

Ishak argued that recent developments in Suwayda could mark the beginning of a new political chapter, provided the same principles are extended to Syria’s broader crises and diverse regions. “Today, there is a new opportunity — one where we can say that unity cannot be imposed by force but must be built on trust,” he wrote.

He praised the Suwayda model, where local residents with security experience are reportedly collaborating with official forces to maintain order. “Why can’t this model be adopted elsewhere?” Ishak asked. “Why not apply it in northeastern Syria, on the coast, and across the entire country? Why shouldn’t the army and security agencies be national institutions open to all Syrians, from all backgrounds?”

Now, fourteen years into a prolonged conflict with a regime that Ishak says refused to listen to the people, Syrians of all identities are yearning for a new kind of state. “A state that listens, that does not exclude; one that embraces its diversity instead of denying it; one that upholds the dignity of all, and builds unity through recognition — not erasure.”

He concluded with a direct challenge to Syria’s leadership and institutions: “Where can such a state be found? Perhaps the answer lies in this moment — if we choose to activate dialogue over domination, trust over repression.”